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National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee Chair Yun Ho-jung adjourns a plenary session of the committee on Nov. 25. (photo pool)

The suspension of Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl by Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae is a political black hole. Previously heated debates over the establishment of an office to investigate corruption by high-ranking officials and another round of emergency disaster relief have all faded before the unprecedented move.

For two days now, Korea’s ruling and opposition parties have been vociferously arguing over the suspension, with the ruling Democratic Party supporting Choo and the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) defending Yoon. The Democratic Party called for a parliamentary probe into the prosecutors’ alleged “illegal surveillance” of judges handling cases involving former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, one of the reasons that Choo provided for suspending Yoon. The Democratic Party, treating the allegations as established facts, also demanded that Yoon submit his resignation. Meanwhile, the PPP threatened to explore filing impeachment charges against Choo and broadened the front to President Moon Jae-in, who has remained silent during these developments.

Participating in a Democratic Party supreme council video conference at the National Assembly on Nov. 25, party leader Lee Nak-yon said, “The most shocking allegations against Yoon shared by the Ministry of Justice [MOJ] were the ones about monitoring judges.”

“We need to investigate whether such anachronistic and dangerous things are still present within the prosecutors and root them out,” he urged, calling on the party to “consider plans for conducting a parliamentary investigation.”

Lee also called on Yoon to resign, saying he “hopes he comes to a decision on his own for the sake of the prosecutors’ future.”

The PPP took aim at President Moon Jae-in while delivering a blistering rebuke of the MOJ’s measures. Kim Chong-in, the chairperson of the PPP’s emergency committee, held an emergency press conference at the National Assembly on Nov. 25 in which he said, “By allowing this kind of situation to happen when the president has the authority to simply dismiss the prosecutor general, [Moon] has turned the country into a laughing stock.”

Floor leader Joo Ho-young said the situation “calls to mind the kind of organized violence committed by gangsters.”

“While this sort of violence from Minister Choo is problematic in itself, an even bigger problem is the way President Moon is behind her tacitly condoning it, and even relishing it in a sense,” he complained.

“If the president doesn’t like [Yoon], he should take political responsibility and dismiss him,” he said.

The two sides continued their back-and-forth over the question of Yoon’s attendance of a plenary session of the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee the same morning. During the session that was unilaterally convened at the PPP’s request, lawmaker and opposition party secretary Kim Do-eup asked, “Why are they avoiding questions on such an important matter?”

“There have been reports that Yoon Seok-youl is en route from the SPO after the announcement that the Legislation and Judiciary Committee has begun discussions,” he said.

In response, Democratic Party lawmaker and Legislation and Judiciary Committee Chair Yun Ho-jung said, “The committee never demanded [Yoon’s] attendance, nor has the agenda even been finalized.”

“Are you telling me the prosecutor general plans to just visit the meeting as he likes because he talked to somebody?” Yun countered before declaring the meeting adjourned after 14 minutes. To protest the decision, PPP lawmakers with the committee visited the SPO the same afternoon to meet with Deputy Prosecutor General Cho Nam-kwan, who is serving as acting prosecutor general. The PPP planned to demand another Legislation and Judiciary Committee plenary session at 10 am on Nov. 26 for more emergency questioning, but with the Democratic Party maintaining that it would be inappropriate for Yoon to attend the National Assembly after being suspended from his duties, it’s unlikely that the two sides will agree on the matter of Yoon’s attendance.

The PPP is also weighing other plans for going after the Democratic Party, including recommendations for Choo’s impeachment or dismissal. In an appearance on MBC Radio the same day, Yoo Sang-bum, a former party attorney who attended the emergency meeting, said the party is “holding emergency discussions on various plans, including the dismissal or impeachment of Minister Choo.”

For now, the Democratic Party plans to wait and observe the MOJ’s disciplinary procedures against Yoon, but may pursue a parliamentary probe or special prosecutor investigation to hold him responsible if additional evidence emerges.

By Jang Na-rye and Noh Ji-won, staff reporters

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